Emotional Response of US Breast Cancer Survivors during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

In a sample of 633 US adult breast cancer survivors, we examined health-related worry as a function vulnerability as influenced by communication, trust, and planning with their cancer care team during the COVID-19 pandemic. We found significant positive correlations between communication and trust, communication and planning, and trust and planning. ANCOVAs with treatment status, immunocompromised status, and delays (separately) as IVs, trust as a covariate, and cancer-related worry as a DV, yielded significant models. A noteworthy finding is the presence of trust as a significant covariate in models of vulnerability and worry.

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• breast cancer
• worry
• trust
• survey research

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to numerous colleagues, patient advocates, community members, and friends who helped to distribute the survey (Dr. Deanna Attai, Mrs. Beulah Brent, Miss Sophia Williams, Ms. Dikla Benzeevi, Ms. Ricki Fairley, Dr. Sasha Milicevic, Ms. Sarah Rittner, Ms. Christine Jonel, Ms. Tamika Felder, Ms. Jessica Roubitchek, Sisters Working It Out, Metavivor Research and Support, Recovery on Water, Chicago Breasties, the Breast Cancer Resource Center, and many others). The UIC Center for Clinical and Translational Science UL1TR002003 provided access to REDCap and associated technical support.

Informed consent

This was an internet-based study. Participants indicated consent by proceeding to the questionnaire.

Research involving human participants/ethical approval

The study was reviewed by University of Illinois at Chicago’s Institutional Review Board (Protocol #2020‐0371; Exemption Granted: 3/27/20). All procedures performed in this study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.